Sunday, August 30, 2009

There are some other beautiful versions already knit up and ready to see on Ravelry

Herbivore is a shawl named after the plant-like structures within the fabric. Increases at each edge and at three other locations create the unique shape, while twisted stitches branch out from those increases.This pattern uses about 430 yds of a fingering weight yarn and would look great in solid as well as variegated and semi-solid yarns.

The three sets of increases in the fabric allow the piece to be worn several different ways.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

There has been great reception to the new Daybreak shawl pattern. I really appreciate receiving all the comments and seeing the gorgeous versions on Ravelry.

Stefanie Japel wrote a wonderful post on her blog about knitting Daybreak. She noted some wonderful tips and tricks. There's also an amazing Barry Manilow video on that post with his song appropriately called Daybreak as well.

A couple nice people over at KnitPicks started working on Daybreak as well so there's some more Daybreak talk on Nina's Blog.

I also started an etsy shop called westknits woolies at http://westknits.etsy.com. The shop has several accessories that I designed, some of them are projects that I'm not going to work on anymore and other items are prototypes for designs or actual samples from my designs.

I am looking forward to my move back down to Urbana on Tuesday. I'm going down there for the day tomorrow so I can try to find a job. I am not knitting at full force as Fall approaches with rehearsals and a couple classes starting. So, I have to pick and choose what I really want to work on. I was commissioned to knit a cabled hat for a small clothing company and I devoted yesterday to that project. I got to work with Karabella's Donegal Cashmere Tweed and think it made a beautifully rustic hat.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Daybreak is a semicircular shawl, featuring clear graphic stripes that echo a rising sun. The generous wingspan allows the fabric to drape comfortably around your shoulders and neck. There is plenty of room to play with color in the three sections of this arched shawl.

The shawl is written up in three sizes from a small kerchief version to a larger shawl to wrap around your shoulders or neck. I used US size 4 needles with fingering weight yarn.

The pattern has been test knit by wonderful knitters. Their versions along with mine can all be seen over on Ravelry

I had a great time working on this pattern and knitting with Schoppel Wolle Zauberball on the large shawl

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I just got back to the Chicago area from Minnesota, but now I'm off again. It's time to go back to Urbana for five days. I am starting dance rehearsals for the Aquifer Project with Jennifer Monson. I also get to spend some quality time with Chris and enlist him to help me with Daybreak photography. Speaking of, Terhi (mustaavillaa on ravelry) just finished test knitting a drop dead gorgeous shawl.

Yesterday, on my trip back to Chicago, I had the whole back seat to myself. I filled it with a knitting workshop of course.

That's two little bags full of new yarn (and the new Interweave!) from The Yarnery in St. Paul along with a backpack full of the yarn and projects I brought for the long weekend (I am always more than well equipped). The knitting in my lap is the beginning of a new design that I am very excited about and will hopefully get to share more within the next few months or so.

That, my friends, is some felted tweed waiting to become yet another westknits design.

Tonight, I cast on for Connie Chang Chinchio's new Farmer's Market Cardigan from Interweave Fall '09. I decided to use my Marr Haven Mule Spun Worsted in Medium Gray for a modified version of this cardigan. It's going to be the perfect comfort knitting project. I will work on it as one of my projects while in Urbana.

The last time I was in Urbana, about a month ago, I bought a couple pieces of pottery the serve as homes for lucky balls of yarn.

I got them from Kelli who lives in the area with her husband. Her husband is the one who made them, but she makes awesome stitch markers as well. She is lumlumtree on etsy.

Today, I rode my bike for a few hours, venturing through the forest preserve on my way to Three Bags Full in Northbrook, IL. I love going there 1) because it's an amazing shop with tons of gorgeous yarn and helpful friendly people and 2) because I get my exercise for the day at more than 20 miles for a round trip through the woods.

I went there today to drop off a Botanic Hat I made for the shop along with several patterns for them to sell.

I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca (gray) combined with Noro Yuzen.

After my ride through the woods to Three Bags Full, I hit the streets with my bike for an 8 mile round trip to Montoya Fiber Studio in Evanston to drop off another hat.

This one I did in Berroco Ultra Alpaca as well (brown) paired with Wisdom Yarns Poems. I wasn't a huge fan of knitting with the Wisdom yarn, but it's an inexpensive self-striping yarn option and it resulted in a beautiful finished object, I think.

I much prefer biking to these yarn shop destinations because I knit a lot and that means sitting down for extended periods of time. Why spend more time sitting in a car when you can get good exercise? That is unless you live 30 miles aways from a shop. Also, riding through the forest preserve makes it a lot easier.

If you know of any shops like your local yarn store that would like to carry my patterns, then let me know. I'm excited about the Botanic Hat because it's simple, fun to play with color combinations, for both men and women, and it makes a good gift. I can't believe how many of them I've made (at least 10). Plus, I have 2 more planned, one for Loopy Yarns and another for myself, to serve as my winter hat with a folded brim.

I have a lot of knitting related business on my plate with getting patterns into a few shops, putting the final touches on Daybreak, designing/writing new patterns, and throwing in some personal comfort knitting as well. Not to say that my design work isn't personal and comforting, but I am more particular and timely with my design projects.

I made a strong effort to pack a light yarn supply for the next five days.

Believe me, that's a light load. I had to neglect several skeins that wanted to come too.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

I'll start off by sharing a couple recent events. I went to the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Festival in Crystal Lake, IL to help with the Klose Knit booth a few Saturdays ago.

I am glad that the Midwest Fiber Festival was my first because it is small compared to other large festivals I've read and heard about. I was still overwhelmed by the amount of yarn in one place. I ended up with a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in the Pond Scum colorway. That skein of yarn is destined for something wonderful. I don't what yet, but something wonderful still. I also got a few different skeins from Briar Rose Fibers and a sweater's worth of rusty orange/red yarn from the Brooks Farm booth. Overall, it was a successful day for Klose Knit and my yarn stash.

I went to a festival (sadly not a fiber festival though) in Chinatown (Chicago) a couple weeks ago with my friend Lauren and if you've ever thought about knitting with a goat, it doesn't work.

Yes, there was a petting zoo in the streets of Chinatown and yes, goats really do like to eat everything in sight.

I spent a long weekend with my Aunt and Uncle in at their vacation home in Minnesota and I'm getting tons of knitting done. I caught a ride with my friend, Patricia (questionable on ravelry) who was conveniently staying in the same town as my relatives this weekend. I hung out with some of Patricia's family for dinner where there was a new kitty to play/knit with.

At my Aunt and Uncle's place, I golfed for the first time. Well, I did five holes before our cart started to get a little sluggish, but it was fun. I swung some impressive lucky shots interspersed with complete misses and lost balls in the woods. My score for the five holes was 50 points or shots or whatever you say.

I loved taking the paddle boat out on the small lake/big pond. Paddleboats are perfect because I can cruise on top of the water, paddling with my feet while my hands knit in the sun's excellent source of light.

While out on the water knitting, there were tons of sunfish so I fashioned a "fishing pole" out of a pop can tab attached to a long strand of Berroco Ultra Alpaca. I used bits of colorful wool for bait and the fish were biting at it a lot, but I couldn't get a hold of one. The next day, I attached that Ultra Alpaca to the handle of a plastic bucket and submerged it in the water. Then, I threw some bread crumbs out and pulled up on the bucket as the fish went for the bait. I caught four fish thanks to my crafty contraption.

I visited The Yarnery in St. Paul, MN. It's my favorite shop in the twin cities area. The shop is in a cozy house like Klose Knit, with yarn organized by weight in different rooms. They have an amazing selection of yarn with lots of books, magazines, and knit samples. I ended up with a little bag full of yarn for more new shawl designs.

I just have to block the one I finished this weekend and take better photos of all three sizes for the pattern. I'm aiming to release the pattern later this week. In the meantime, you can admire gussie's and sketchbook's gorgeous shawls that they test knit for me. I have a few more equally amazing test knitters working on this shawl which means there will be more to admire soon.

About Me

I am a 21 year old knitter, designer, and dancer currently based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Look out for my first collection of knitting patterns, Westknits Book One, in October accompanied by a brand new website and blog!